A multimillion-dollar project for a new police station at St Helens is complete, with the fit-for-purpose facility providing improvements that benefit policing on Tasmania's East Coast now, and into the future.
Tasmania Police Commissioner Donna Adams, Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins, Northern District Commander Marco Ghedini, and St Helens Police Inspector Luke Manhood today inspected the new $7.5m St Helens Police Station at Annie Street.
Commander Ghedini said the new station - which replaces a building originally constructed in 1975 - was a significant improvement in terms of design, usability, technologies and security.
"This new station provides increased capacity for our routine policing duties and provides space for any expanded staffing that may be needed for short-term operations or emergency management, or as a result of future policing needs," he said.
Commander Ghedini said key features of the new station included dedicated victim/witness interview rooms; spaces to interview suspects and conduct drug and alcohol testing; and purpose-built facilities to store marine police vessels and equipment.
"The new station also provides a modern and safe holding cell to allow offenders to be detained on-site for short periods, meaning that immediate transport to Launceston is not required. This will provide a timelier capacity to investigate matters within the area," he said.
The new station will house general duties police who service the greater St Helens area including Beaumaris and Scamander, north to Ansons Bay, and inland to Weldborough.
The station also serves as the divisional headquarters for the wider St Helens Division, which includes the East Coast south to Dennison River, the Fingal Valley, Furneaux Islands group, and marine resources for northern Tasmania.
Commander Ghedini said the station was a boost for policing resources on the East Coast.
"The new station provides a fit-for-purpose base that will significantly improve the operating environment for the police stationed here and the service we provide to the community," he said.
"The station boasts facilities that enable more policing functions to be delivered locally, including the specialist interview rooms.
"Additionally, the station provides dedicated meeting and video conferencing, spaces that will allow training to be delivered at the station, remote witness attendance at court, and spaces for collaboration with other emergency services and local government in the management of emergencies."
The design of the new St Helens Police Station was undertaken by Tasmania's HBV Architects, with the 12-month construction completed by North-East builder, Trac-M Constructions.
Upon staff relocating to the new station, the former station and site at Cecilia Street will be decommissioned and listed for disposal through the Department of Treasury and Finance.
